The Bottineau pioneer. (Bottineau, N.D.) 1885-1895, 1887-11-03


with lonzpikes, but our own marksmen
bothered them so much with bullets
that they failed to get their pixies 70
the tunnel.
Thescommanding general now visit.
ed the mine and -cOmplimented che
faithful miner for his triumph. From
that time forward the generals
began to have soldiers and
cannon ready to advance over
the wreck Immediately after the
explosion and secure. the heights that
protected Petersburg. The enthusiasm
OF Reese extended over.aths regiment
at last, and willing workers came
from every company to help the haz-
ardous enterprise along The immed:
late dangers were many, for the min
ers had reached the FIRST linesof Con-
federate breastworks where there were
hundfeds of men and cannon and
horses over them, besides this concus-
sion Ct the heavy scannonading con-
tinually shaking the wholeregion like
the tremors OF an earthquake. Should
the earth cavein upon the miners
they would be beyond reach of succor
from our line and any who survived
would be. liable to- execution at the
hands Of the enemy, for although
mining is resorted TO in all wars it is
outlawed by thesrecognized code, and
miners, like spies, forfeit their lives.ii
caught Again, the. enemy might de.
1tect the work here and place torpedoes
with magazines in the way of the tun-
nellers. Countermining was begun for
this purpose while the miners were
working under the main fort, but the
shafts made by the Confederates were
about twenty feet out of the way and
failed to detect the stealthy labors
going on so close at hand.
At length the estimated distance
had been tunneled and chambers were
prepared for the, explosives. The
commander Of the army had put his
forces in readiness to 60 forward, and
all the attention was fixed ON this
point. The patience OF the leaders
was at,full strain; the workmen in the
mine were exhausted, while yet they
were jubilant over the completion Of
the task: Suddenly it was seen that
a mistake in measurement of about
nine yards had placed the chambers
outside the Confederate fort and that
under it. The, enterprise would fail.
So sensitive were all conce1ned be.
cause of the criticism and ridicule the
strange project had called forth that
there was not an-oficer with the
moral courage to face the chiefs and
reveal the unwelcome truth. Reese
got men pledged for anotheree effort
and then swent:to headquarters and
asked for three days to complete the
extensions. The new difficulty shat.
tered the faith Of the generals, but
the work was finished ahead of time
and the powder was laid, and thus a
second ~"time Reese had~&savad the
whole enterprise. \ f%%as i
Now twenty sthousandE mems with
cavalry and batteries were placed in
waiting, and at, last it seemed as
though by "a mastersstroke Lees
powerful walls and armament would
~beTshivered to a useless mass. Peters
burg would fall and the, goal, OF three
years OF campaigning "around Rich
mond would be reached, for Rich&>
mond and Petersburg must stand OF
fall together. m
The Rourfor the exrplosionswas at
daylight. The army and every lead
er in it was awake awaiting for the
great event. The minute had moved
on fifteen, twenty minutes, and the
explosion did not come. Reese had
lit the fuse. Gen Grant, the most .
anxious OF them all, went personally
to the quarters of Gen. Meade to
know the cause OF delay. The morn.
ing'sfull light would reveal to Lee
those massed columns and the move,
ment of surprise would be- forestalled.
Gen. Meade sent two aids to Gen.
Burnside. In command OF the line at
the mine, and at 4.l5 A.vM. he tele-
graphed over a special field wire laid
for the occasion. The dispatch read:
; Is there. any difficult in exploding the
late. 70 >T Z '-&"@&
Half q ton of powder was packed in
cells beneath the fort q fuse run
ming through "a, powder tr6ugh was
burning slowly toward the fatal spot.
The long fuse had been spliced and
might burn &unevenly. A delay OF
even ten minutes now couldadefeat all.
At 4:2O Gen. Meade'st message was re-
peated and at S4.35 n came still
more urgent stating thatGen. Grant
was waiting to know if the mine could
not be exploded in ordertUdetermine
other projects Of aseaulk Following
that, within a minute, came an order
from Gen. Granite make an assault
regardless of the Gen. Meade
putt III thisshape.A -
The Commanding General directs, iiyour
mine assfailed, sthatryCuamaksssn6ault at
once.
Agroup ofthe miners huddled at
the mouth of the shaft and with them
Reese, the first to put spade to the
work and the last to come out after
the magazines were filled and Ire put
to fuse. The mine now was hA-his il
it should fail, his to be ridicct1eed, to ba
q byword and q g~azing-stock. Tail?
II had failed! Daylight waSupon us.
the enemy was arousing, his men under
arms were walking about across the
lines only a hundred rods away.
Reese drew his soldiers clasp dirk and
turning to afeiiow, said:
u am going into the mine. II il
don't blow ups give me; tifpe to reach
the last splice and then you come to
me witfrfreshrfuse and]Wid6sse
He goes into the tunnel with resolute
caution, following up the telltale
streak If black ashes that show that
the fuss iss burning it's way toward
that train OF flashing powder which
opens TO the sulphur chambers be-
yond. Any secondeaM theM Gre
may reach there and ses the